• PFMA says no written order or notification issued;
• Decision conveyed verbally; calls for immediate restoration of wheat permits for Islamabad-based mills

ISLAMABAD: At a time when flour prices are already on the rise, around 45 flour mills in the federal capital are likely to run out of wheat after the Punjab Food Department reportedly suspended wheat supply permits, flour mill owners said on Tuesday.

The Rawalpindi chapter of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) warned that the suspension of wheat supply permits could create an artificial flour shortage in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree and Kotli Sattian, encourage black marketing of wheat and increase chances of corruption.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the association claimed that the Punjab Food Department (PFD) had neither issued a written order nor shared any official notification regarding the suspension of wheat permits, saying the decision was conveyed verbally on July 13.

It said flour mills located in Islamabad’s I-9 and I-10 industrial areas had historically been allowed to procure wheat from Punjab to meet the flour requirements of the twin cities. Rawalpindi, meanwhile, has 11 flour mills of which only seven are currently operational.

The association said significantly larger number of mills in Islamabad reflected their role in catering to the flour requirements of the entire Rawalpindi-Islamabad region, warning that any disruption in wheat supplies could lead to a shortage of flour in the local market.

Expressing solidarity with flour mills in Islamabad, the PFMA Rawalpindi chapter warned that flour mills in Rawalpindi would also suspend operations if wheat supplies to Islamabad-based mills were not restored. The association said the Punjab Food Department would bear full responsibility for any disruption in flour supplies resulting from such a shutdown.

Until a few days ago, permits for transporting about 8,000 tonnes of wheat for Rawalpindi and Islamabad were being issued regularly, keeping the market stable and ensuring an uninterrupted flour supply. However, the sudden suspension of permits could trigger a flour shortage, the association feared.

Pakistan Flour Mills Association (Punjab) Chairman Riazullah Khan said flour mills had been established in Islamabad to meet the flour requirements of the twin cities.

He said the Punjab Food Department had historically regulated Islamabad’s flour mills through its Rawalpindi office. However, in recent months, wheat supplies to the mills had repeatedly been suspended on various pretexts, creating uncertainty for millers.

The association said the Punjab Food Department had developed an online portal for issuing wheat permits and had itself registered Islamabad’s flour mills on the system. It added that the mills continued to be regulated by the Rawalpindi Food Department and had fully complied with all directives issued by the Punjab authorities.

Despite this, the department had suspended wheat permits for Islamabad mills without explanation, disrupting supplies and de-stabilising the market, the association claimed.

The PFMA demanded immediate restoration of wheat permits for Islamabad-based mills to enable them to procure wheat from producing districts and meet the flour requirements of the twin cities. It also called for restoring access to the online permit portal, saying an automated system would minimise discretionary powers and help curb corruption.

The association also urged the authorities to remove what it described as unnecessary restrictions on the movement of wheat, and also appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to intervene immediately to avert a flour crisis in federal capital.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2026